Isn't She Charming?
by lilianthorn
Summary: Mrs. Malfoy upon opening a Charm School for young witches offers a free scholarship to Ginny Weasley. Ginny wants to know if she really is bi before she marries Harry if she can just find a way to get Narcissa to relinquish her composure.


Summary: After the war the Malfoys attempt to restore their standing in a newly pro-diversity Magical world, as the Weasleys are rising in socio-economic standing, Mrs. Malfoy upon opening a Charm School for young witches offers a free scholarship to Ginny Weasley. Molly, wanting to see her daughter find acceptance she could never have in a high class society accepts. Ginny wants to know if she really is bi before she marries Harry or if her long-time Quidditch crush on Gwenog Jones was just an adolescent phase and thinks her hormonal response to Mrs. Malfoy's elegance and feminine wiles might make an interesting experiment, if she can just find a way to get Narcissa to relinquish her composure.

Author's Notes: Post HP7, Ginny is technically of age so there's no statutory issues, only potential fidelity issues, though Ginny is in her summer before her last year of Hogwarts and thus still under parental influence. Might squick anyone who finds very disparate age differences to be weird.

"What is this rubbish?" Ginny scowled at her mother over the slick lavender pamphlet advertising what claimed to be Charm School. "I got my N.E.W.T. in Charms already I hardly think I need summer school, mum."

Mrs. Weasley stared at her hands as she spoke in an uncharacteristically hesitant voice, "not that kind of charms, Ginny...you must understand...families have been torn apart, you have chances I never..., I want you to have everything..." her voice trailed off as she looked out the window at a garden gnome cussing out a particularly vicious flesh-eating slug it was prising from its ankle. "You've been offered a scholarship as a way of bringing peace between our families," Molly finished looking Ginny in the eye pointedly.

"peace between..." Ginny started then turning the pamphlet over caught a look at a picture that made her skin crawl; a haughty fair-haired witch was offering what was evidently meant to be an encouraging smile while pouring a dark liquid from an ancient silver teapot into a delicate china cup. "Are you mental? Narcissa Malfoy?" Ginny spat back in horror, "This is a joke, right? Did George make this?" Ginny waved the pamphlet at her mother with disdain as though she thought it a joke in very poor taste.

"Ginevra Weasley," Mrs. Weasley stood up and took the hands-on-her-hips pose, her voice growing shrill, "You are marrying the most famous wizard in our world and you will be expected to rub shoulders with all walks of life, now my cousin," Molly emphasized the word cousin to remind her daughter of the interconnectedness of the magical world as though that might sway Ginny's sense of morality, she continued, "my cousin, Narcissa, has graciously requested your participation in her new school and I want you to be an ambassador of...of...of..." Molly's voice trailed off as she seemed to lose her nerve under Ginny's searing glare and sat back down. She muttered, "It's only two weeks, if you go I'll buy you the newest racing broom on the market." Getting up she patted Ginny's head and walked out to attend to some mundane chore, leaving Ginny to chew her lip in thought.

Thus it was that just after Ginny's coming of age party, which was lavishly celebrated with the money earned from Mr. Weasley's huge raise in the newly formulated Ministry of Magic, Ginny found herself dressed up and approaching Malfoy Manor under circumstances she thought more daunting than being taught to waltz by one of the dragons in Bill's care in Romania.

The house elf that showed Ginny to the sitting room bowed low after opening the door so that over his back she had a clear view of Mrs. Malfoy sitting primly in a high-backed wing chair by a merrily blazing fire surrounded by six other girls that Ginny recognized as mostly Slytherins except for one Ravenclaw she knew from her class. Glancing up at her, Narcissa gushed, "Miss Weasley! I'm so...pleased you could join us. Please come sit here," she gestured at the chair that directly faced her own. Ginny hesitated, holding Narcissa's gaze and feeling the familiar flip-flopping of her stomach that she had come to associate with her mostly secret crushes. For a moment she thought she saw something in the older woman's eyes, some recognition or response that Ginny could not quite place. She hurried to take her seat to let her new teacher turn her focus back to the curriculum papers a house elf was now passing to each of the girls present.

-Care of Goblin-made artifacts

-Proper greetings and customs for French, Persian, Mermish and German.

-Identification of elf made wines and their serving

-Blending herbal teas for social gatherings of varying purposes

-playing musical instruments, and using magic to augment performance

Ginny read the sheet with its descriptions of how each subject would be handled and found herself surprised to find some of it kind of interesting. Mrs. Malfoy began to speak about how they would be proceeding with lessons and Ginny found herself glad of an excuse to study the older woman without being improper or obvious. She was drawn in by the dark red of Narcissa's lips, moving gracefully as she spoke. She noticed with interest that despite her age, Mrs. Malfoy was rather very pretty and Ginny indulged a momentary fantasy to try on this new stimulation. Narcissa blinked rather suddenly and stuttered, catching herself before anyone else noticed and proceeding with her talk almost immediately. But Ginny noticed. She wondered if it had been her imagination, but Narcissa seemed almost to be smiling and was that a bit of color in her cheeks?

Ginny imagined touching the soft skin of the older woman's face, lightly and sensually; the kind of seductive touch that had become one of her favorite fantasies which she had shared with no one. She wondered what kissing her might be like. She felt her private thoughts were just a harmless way of entertaining herself in this strange environment.

She had confessed to Harry long before about her curiosity about girls and that she had had a few crushes. He had responded in a typical teenaged boy way; asking if she ever did kiss a girl if he, Harry, could watch.

All too soon the class was being ended and the girls were dispersing, two of them had hung back apparently seeing the older witch as a kind of heroine and asking questions like, "can you really speak Mermish?" and "do you really play 7 different instruments?" and "is it true you've invented 74 different herbal tea blends?" Ginny stood watching for a moment before excusing herself and perfunctorily agreeing to return for the next session.

Ginny soon found herself enjoying these classes as Narcissa proved not only a gracious host but knowledgeable about many obscure or unusual forms of magic, not all Dark in any way. At the end of the fourth class Narcissa was taking questions and Ginny decided to try her knowledge on something that had been on her mind for a couple years.

"Mrs. Malfoy," she began, "is it true that not only does one's Patronus become influenced by who we love but can have something to do with destined matches?"

Narcissa looked at the young woman with interest; this was an intelligent question, the kind she liked the best. "Yes, Miss Weasley, but that is a complex subject. It is said that those whose Patronuses would be natural mates have some destiny with each other, but I sense you want to know more, would you mind if we continued the discussion after class?"

"Thank you," Ginny said softly, noticing that her classmates had seemed uninterested in the subject she was impressed at how her host had kept the class's interest in mind and yet was willing to indulge Ginny's interest as well. Ginny was excited at the prospect of being able to freely ask about advanced magics from someone more knowledgeable than the writers of Witch Weekly.

Ginny stood examining a gilded harp as she waited for the other girls to clear out and didn't hear Narcissa come up behind her until the woman spoke softly just behind her, causing her to spin around suddenly knocking the harp over in the process. Deftly Narcissa reached around Ginny catching the harp and righting it before withdrawing her arms from by Ginny's waist. It had happened so fast that Ginny was left disoriented and forgot what her teacher had just said. The proximity of Narcissa to Ginny was making her fidgety, but Narcissa seemed composed, almost amused. She asked again, "so I take it you can produce a corporeal Patronus and am I to understand it's shape causes you some concern?"

"Yeah," breathed Ginny, staring into the pale piercing eyes that seemed to be both icy yet soothing at the same time. Like a cool cloth on a fever those silver eyes seemed to Ginny, who certainly felt feverish now.

"You are engaged to Mr. Potter, isn't that correct?" Ginny nodded. "And his Patronus is a stag?" Again Ginny nodded then raised her wand and said firmly, "expecto patronum." A bright silver stallion burst from her wand and galloped soundlessly around the room. Narcissa gasped, raising her own wand and saying almost as a whisper the same incantation. A graceful grey mare cantered up to Ginny's stallion and demurely bowed its head.

In stunned silence the two women turned to each other as the patronuses faded into the silence that hung thick in the room. Ginny swallowed hard. "oh." she said. Narcissa parted her lips as though to speak but with a look of longing and deep sadness she turned away from Ginny and sat herself at the harp and began to play a haunting melody. Ginny stood stunned and enrapt by the beauty of the music, the woman, the harp and the mystery she had just shared with her. She hungrily studied every detail of the older woman's posture, her slim hands moving over the strings, the thighs cradling the gold instrument, the black silk covering the shapely legs...

The music ended and without looking up, Narcissa said with a voice thick with emotion, "Miss Weasley, I trust you'll be back for our next session?" Ginny heard the plea in her voice, 'don't speak of this, just carry on.'

Jumbled arguments filled Ginny's mind as she wandered down Diagon Alley:

I'm engaged

She's married

She's a Malfoy!

What would Harry think?

But her lips, god those lips, what if I get married and never know, never know for sure what it might have been like? She found herself standing before Weasley's Wizard Weazes and went in thinking her brother George might be just the person to take her mind off her dilemma but found herself staring at a display of violently pink potions.

George offered her a butterbeer in his office and as she sat down asked, "I hope you're not going to try to slip that to Gwenog, because I hear she's straight."

"How did you...?" Ginny gasped and George gave her a look that said that he knew his little sister only too well. "No, it's not Gwenog, but...so, do these not work if the person who gives the love potion isn't to their, you know...taste?"

George looked at her thoughtfully and said, "love potions don't create love or even attraction if that attraction isn't already a latent possibility for the person who takes it, so no. If for instance, Lee Jordan slipped me the most potent amortentia I wouldn't go begging him for a snog. But it is a woman then?" George raised an eyebrow with amusement and feigned shock.

"Look, Harry knows and I just want to, you know, find out if it's true before I'm married, I'm not keeping anything from Harry, alright?" Ginny exclaimed.

"You'll get no morality lecture from me, young lady!" said George with mock authority causing Ginny to laugh in spite of herself, "Besides, the greatest wizard of all time was more flaming than his phoenix! There's nothing wrong with it!" Ginny relaxed noticeably. Taking a sip from his own bottle George asked as an afterthought, "so if not Gwenog, who're you fancying now?"

"Narcissa"

Butterbeer was suddenly sprayed all over the file cabinet beside George and he coughed before gasping, "Malfoy?"

They discussed her plan for some time, George finally getting over his shock and giving her the potion, she promised to let him know how it went. On the way out towards the Leaky Cauldron, Ginny fingered the small bottle in her pocket nervously thinking, 'it won't work, she'll just be straight, there'll be no harm, and if...no...it couldn't be, but if...well, she'd never admit to messing around with a Weasley!'

They were midway through the class sessions and each girl was allowed to pick an instrument to learn. Ginny stood by the golden harp waiting her turn at a bit of instruction. She had been unusually quiet during this session as she tried to think how and when she might have a chance to slip the potion to her tutor. Mrs. Malfoy walked resolutely to her waiting pupil and said, "Ah, Miss Weasley, let me show you some fingering."

Eyes wide Ginny gasped, "wha-at?" Mrs. Malfoy smirked and whispered, "The harp, Miss Weasley."

"oh!, right then, yes, of course." Ginny stammered sitting down at the golden instrument. To her surprise Mrs. Malfoy slid onto the bench behind her, straddling Ginny and the harp and reaching around her to take her hands in her own and begin plucking the strings slowly guiding her in the same melody she had played for Ginny before. Ginny's head swam from the heat of the woman's body and a heady perfume filled her senses. 'Paperwhites' Ginny thought absently recalling the scent of the delicate white flowers her mother grew in pots every Christmas. Mrs. Malfoy's hands suddenly seemed similar to those delicate blossoms and Ginny had trouble thinking clearly but decided that soon she would find a way to slip her the potion. Soon.

Class ended and without looking up Mrs. Malfoy asked Ginny to stay, "for tea." Ginny accepted knowing this might just be her chance. A house elf brought in a tea set and Mrs. Malfoy asked if Ginny would mind pouring for them while she saw the other girls out. Ginny's heart leapt. It was almost too perfect. She carefully poured the tea, added cream and sugar and to Narcissa's cup, a bit from the little bottle in her pocket. Then she carefully placed the cups so that it was clear which cup was whose and sat down to wait for Mrs. Malfoy to return.

She didn't have to wait long. She heard a click as the drawing room door closed and was that a lock sliding into place? The older woman sat down across from Ginny and picked up her cup, for a moment staring intently at the curling steam rising from the tiny cup. She looked Ginny straight in the eyes and sipped, holding the girl's gaze the whole time. After replacing her cup she closed her eyes a moment.

When she opened them again she looked relaxed and calm, but the look she gave Ginny was intense. Again Ginny was reminded of the soothing cold of ice on blistering burns. Just as that thought struck Ginny, Narcissa whispered, "it's hot in here." Ginny watched transfixed as the woman reached up and seemingly unconsciously unbuttoned her blouse. Her breasts heaved against her silk camisole as Ginny saw her nearly panting. Looking around disorientedly, Narcissa got up and muttered, "come with me, I wanted to show you something..." and strode out the far door into a small guest bedroom.

Ginny followed distracted by the woman's movements and as she reached the door, Narcissa looked back at her while undoing her coif and letting her long pale hair fall over her shoulders. Ginny closed the bedroom door behind her and approached her teacher nervously. Not entirely sure if she knew what she'd just gotten herself into.

Narcissa was staring at her with half-lidded eyes, looking intoxicated. She reached up and took a handful of Ginny's hair saying softly, "so pretty..."

"M-m-mrs...Mal-"

"Narcissa."

Ginny stared back at the witch before her and licked her lips before whispering, "Narcissa..."

"yes, Ginevra?" Narcissa's voice was again husky with some deep emotion. "Help me with this," Narcissa said turning her back to Ginny and gesturing to the zipper of her long skirt. Ginny eyes bulged but she obediently unzipped the skirt which fell with a sigh on to the soft carpet beneath their feet. Narcissa turned back to face Ginny, one hand holding the other arm as though she felt just as nervous and unsure of how to proceed as Ginny did.

Ginny stared unabashedly at the garters, the lace panties, the silk stockings and the pale skin framed enticingly by so much black lace and silk. She licked her lips again, feeling emboldened by her certainty of the success of her potion and took in the shapely body before her. Narcissa pulled Ginny into her arms and hugged her tightly. Again Ginny caught the heady perfume and was overwhelmed by it even as she dimly heard the woman saying, "...you must understand, I never...haven't felt this way since I was at Hogwarts...after Alice broke my sister's heart, I couldn't risk going through what that did to her...never thought anyone would notice...I can't begin to explain...how you knew...how could anyone know I felt this?"

Ginny's head swirled, 'Alice? Alice Longbottom?' she thought, 'and Bellatrix!' Suddenly what had seemed a simple cruelty had a new light cast upon it, but before she had a chance to appreciate the full weight of what was being confided in her, Narcissa's full mouth had captured Ginny's in a breathtaking and mind-erasing kiss.

It was like slow motion and yet everything happened so fast. Ginny's clothes were off, the two women found their way to the bed amidst kisses and touches that left Ginny with little doubt as to her ability to be with a woman in a serious way. Narcissa's lips and kisses were totally unlike any guy Ginny had snogged. Those boys were awkward and halting, or hungry and slobbering. Narcissa toyed with Ginny's mouth, her tongue flicked at the corner's of her mouth suggestively.

Finally Ginny found herself tasting Narcissa and was completely overwhelmed by how richly bittersweet the moment was. Narcissa's moans and gasps of pleasure, the deft pleasure Narcissa had brought Ginny to twice already mingled with the realization that it couldn't last forever and a sudden stabbing fear that at any moment the potion would wear off and Narcissa Malfoy would realize what she'd done.

But that moment never seemed to materialize. They lay a long time with limbs entwined talking softly about nothing in particular, yet surprisingly at ease for the situation they were in.

Finally Narcissa leaned up on her elbow and looked down at Ginny with a tenderness Ginny never knew she could see in the face of a Malfoy.

Narcissa said lightly, "you know, Ginny...there is no herb in my garden which in tea makes pink steam..."

Ginny's stomach dropped out of her with a thud and she gasped, "you knew!"

Narcissa smiled indulgently and kissed Ginny softly on the mouth before saying, "yes, I knew, I only pretended to drink, I wanted to see what might happen."

Ginny's mind reeled from the information but soon Narcissa was kissing her again and all thought was lost in the moment. She could worry later about the implications.

~The End~


End file.
